Rarely does one view a Sundance picture that one feels compelled to write about soon afterwards; the United States’ largest independent film festival usually selects terribly average indie flicks. Kieran Darcy-Smith’s barnstorming debut, however, will keep you glued to the screen until the very end.
When Steph Flannery’s (Teresa Palmer) boyfriend Jeremy (Antony Starr) goes missing on a holiday in Cambodia, brother-in-law Dave (Joel Edgerton) and his wife Alice (Felicity Price) are determined to find him. Secrets are revealed in the process, adversely affecting Dave and Alice’s marriage.
If Before Sunrise is a picture built upon the foundations of great dialogue and acting, Wish You Were Here is built upon judicious editing. Darcy-Smith relays his simple but subtle plot in fragmentary fashion; editor Jason Ballantine skillfully skips back and forth, portraying Dave and Alice’s married life before the trip, the holiday in Cambodia and its consequences back in Australia. The further we progress, the more painful the lies unraveled are.
This low-budget mystery stars one of Australia’s finest, Joel Edgerton, known far and wide for his impressive turn as drug dealer Barry Brown in 2010’s Oscar-nommed Animal Kingdom. Edgerton depicts his character, a man with the weight of multiple falsehoods on his shoulders, with commendable gravitas. It is a monolithic performance.
Both Cambodia and Australia are shot in dark green, dark yellow and dark blue hues; cinematographer Jules O’ Laughlin ingeniously hints at the debauchery of Cambodia accompanying Dave back to his home. Made on an admirably meagre budget of $2.5m, this film is a glowing example of just how much can be achieved on so little.
Easily one of 2012’s finest. You’d be a fool to miss out on this one.
Stars - ★★★★
Reviewed by Rehan Mudannayake
Wish You Were Here
Drama - Mystery
Four friends lose themselves in a carefree South-East Asian holiday. Only three come back.
Director: Kieran Darcy-Smith
Writers: Kieran Darcy-Smith (screenplay), Felicity Price (screenplay)
Stars: Felicity Price, Joel Edgerton and Teresa Palmer
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